


Porcelain

by Capucine



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2014-11-13
Packaged: 2018-02-17 05:01:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2297468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capucine/pseuds/Capucine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where robots of sorts have recently become a reality, Alfred is eager to get one as an assistant. He has heard of Ivan, the artistic robot maker, who gives them shells of porcelain instead of metal. He chooses an android named Toris.</p>
<p>But are these androids sentient? Are they a new form of life, or just similar to humans through programming?</p>
<p>Alfred is taken on the ride of his life when Toris proves to be more intelligent than Ivan thinks he is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Weird idea, I know. Just for clarification, the porcelain androids don't have moving faces other than their eyes; it's just a mask over their sensors.

Alfred smiled at little Raivis as he clicked and whirred along. “I’m surprised you made one that’s so cute and small,” he said, as he turned back to Ivan.

Ivan raised an eyebrow, saying, “I wanted to see if I could use less material to design an android. He is mostly a failure, considering that he--” Raivis began to shake violently as he picked up Ivan’s cup of tea, sloshing it all out the sides, “--does _that_.”

“S-sorry, Master,” came the robotic voice. It too seemed to have a tremble to it.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Alfred assured Raivis, which made the android’s head turned towards him. He blinked a few times, then turned back to the tea.

“I don’t know why you bother to reassure androids,” Ivan said, pouring more tea into his cup himself.

Alfred’s brow crinkled. “You programmed them to have feelings. I mean, like shit, man, how can I just ignore that?”

Ivan smiled, saying, “It is but a false programming to comfort humans; they are no more sentient than a trash can.”

Raivis paused, then said, “May I get Mr. Alfred more cookies?”

“See? His only concern is your comfort,” Ivan said, nodding to Raivis.

Alfred frowned, as Raivis left the room. “They seem so human.”

“They’re meant to,” Ivan said placidly, sipping his tea.

Alfred toyed with his glove, finally getting to the point. “Well, you know why I’m here. I need a manservant, an assistant, and I’ve heard you’re the best at making them.”

Ivan smiled. “That I am. That Swede has nothing on me. You know he makes male bodies and simply sticks half-globes on them to make them female? You know he prides himself on a silver, non-human appearance? Pah! What I make with the porcelain shells is art in and of itself, not to mention their great variety in appearance.”

Alfred nodded, saying, “Yes, I know. I chose you specifically because of your unique designs.”

Ivan said, setting down his teacup, “Would you like to see some of the ones I’ve made?”

“Yes, please.” Alfred rose from his seat, and followed Ivan out the door. They nearly ran into Raivis, returning with more cookies.

“Teatime’s over, Raivis,” Ivan said.

“Yeah, sorry,” Alfred said, giving him an apologetic smile.

Raivis’s face didn’t change, set in porcelain as it was. But to Alfred, it sounded like his ‘Yessir’ was disappointed. Cookies were spilling off the plate as Raivis held it at an angle.

Alfred picked up his pace to catch up with Ivan, saying, “So, is Raivis for sale?”

Ivan snorted, saying, “You don’t want him. Too many bugs. Far, far from my best work.”

Alfred shrugged, saying, “He’s got his own charm.”

“Americans,” Ivan said with a roll of his eyes. He opened the door to the presentation room, where several porcelain-skinned robots stood in a row.

Alfred stared.

First, there was a beautiful girl in a maid’s type of outfit, long platinum blonde hair and a calm expression on her face. Almost too calm. Her head turned to follow Ivan.

Another girl, this one with huge bumps on her chest. It felt weird to even consider calling them breasts, but Alfred stared anyway. She had short blonde hair, and a sort of smiling face. That one would probably be too embarrassing to have be his helper.

The next had glasses, strangely enough, and short, bowl-cut hair. He wore a nice shirt and slacks, and had a look in his eye like he knew more than any other android in the room.

Lastly, there was a figure with brown hair just above his shoulders, and a peaceable expression on his face. His shirt was white, with a black vest and black slacks.

“Who’s that one? What’s his name?” Alfred said, gesturing to the last one.

“Toris. Be forewarned, he is my favorite,” Ivan said with a laugh. Toris’s head turned towards them, as though he understood they were talking about him.

“Master, how may I serve?” he asked, stepping away from the wall.

“Just stand there and look pretty,” Ivan said, apparently getting a kick out of it.

Alfred smiled at Toris, saying, “Hi, I’m Alfred. Who are you?”

“Toris. Didn’t the Master tell you?” he asked, and Alfred was sure there was confusion in the voice.

“Yes, but I thought I would ask you anyway. What do you think, Toris? Want to come live with me?” Alfred stepped over to him, looking him up and down. He was shorter than him, significantly so, but bigger than Raivis.

Toris tilted his head, saying, “I will be happy with whatever my Master says.”

“I like him. Send my family the bill,” Alfred said with a grin. “Hear that, Toris? You’re moving to America.”

“Very good, sir,” Toris said earnestly.

Ivan smiled, saying, “Very well, he’s yours. Let me know if you want to return or exchange him; I allow it for up to a month.”

“Thanks.” Alfred grabbed Toris’s hand, a porcelain one with many joints between the pieces. “Come on, you’re going to love America!”

“Yes, sir,” Toris responded.


	2. Chapter 2

Toris was a travel hazard, and had to be shut down and put in the belly of the plane. However, rebooting him was no problem once America’s family’s chauffeur showed up with the car.

“Get the fuck in,” Lovino Vargas said, looking irritable that America was messing with Toris.

Toris’s eyes blinked twice, and he said, “What is fuck?”

“Thanks a lot, Lovino,” America sighed, and he said, “Fuck is a bad word, don’t say it.”

“Yessir,” Toris said, eyes turning to take in the sun. He seemed to enjoy looking around a lot.

“Into the car, Toris,” Alfred said, holding open the door for him. Lovino didn’t and would never open the door for Alfred (‘You’ve got fucking arms, use them!’), but since Alfred’s mother owned the company and Lovino was always charming with her, he got away with it.

Toris’s parts clicked as he settled on the seat. “Oh. Seat belt,” he said, and he fumbled with it a moment, until there was a satisfactory click.

“Yeah, that’s right, you don’t want to go through the windshield,” Alfred said, as he buckled in on the next side.

“Like I’d get us in a fucking accident,” Lovino griped, swerving away from the sidewalk and speeding through the parking lot.

As they rode, Toris turned to look at Alfred. “Mr. Alfred Jones, why don’t I drive the car? Mr. Lovino has broken six driving laws already.”

Alfred let out a laugh, saying, “Ah, that’s just Lovino.”

“It’s my fucking job and I’ll be damned if I let a robot take it from me!” Lovino snarled back at Toris, who only blinked.

“Oh. You don’t like robots?”

“Stop looking at me in the rearview mirror!” Lovino snapped, and abruptly songs in Italian started playing on the CD drive. “Just shut up and let me drive.”

Toris looked over at Alfred, blinked three times, and stayed quiet.

He was quiet until they reached the house, a large place with four floors and a wide front walkway. 

“Toris, this is home. You always have to come here if you get lost, okay? Thanks, Lovino!” Alfred hopped out of the car, and Toris, having already figured out how to open the door, got out on the other side.

“Last fucking time I’m going all the way to the airport for you,” Lovino growled, and drove for the garage.

Alfred still didn’t know how Lovino managed to hang on to this job. “Okay, Toris, you know what your job is?”

“To serve you in every way, sir,” Toris replied, then his head tilted to the side. “Will that include bathing? My circuits are not waterproof.”

“No, no, not bathing,” Alfred said, laughing a little. “I can bathe myself. However, you’re going to be like a secretary and personal assistant to me, okay?”

Toris nodded, and followed him with clicking steps up the stone walkway into the house. Alfred threw the door open, shouting, “Mattie, guess what?”

Matthew, his brother, came down the stairs in a red hoodie, stocking feet, and loose jeans. “What-- you got robot!”

“Yup! He’s going to help me at my job,” Alfred explained, nodding towards Toris. “Say hello, Toris.”

“Hello Toris,” Toris said, then asked, “Shouldn’t I say Hello Mattie?”

Alfred laughed, and said, “No, I think he’d like it if you called him Matthew.”

“Whatever’s fine,” Matthew said, eyeing Toris a bit nervously. “He can’t like, crush bones in his hands, can he?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Alfred said, and then he gestured to Toris. “Come on, I’ll show you your recharge station.”

They walked along, leaving Matthew behind. All the way, Toris’s eyes were on the walls, where pictures were lined up in large numbers. Baby Alfred and Matthew, Senior Prom Alfred and Matthew, VBS Alfred and Matthew… any time of their lives, and it was there.

“You are twins?” Toris asked, as they arrived in a room full of technology.

“Nah. Me and Mattie are a year apart; he’s graduating this year, and I’ve just started at the family company. God, I miss high school sometimes, though.” Alfred shook his head, saying, “Well, here’s your spot; it should fit your recharge cord.”

A three prong outlet was in the wall, and experimentally, Toris plugged in, drawing a three foot cable from his heel. “It works, Mr. Alfred.”

“Good! Consider this room kinda yours,” Alfred said, grinning at Toris. “We should put in some pictures of kittens. You’ll like that, right?”

“Kittens are baby cats,” Toris confirmed, then said, “I like kittens.”

“Yup. I’ll show you what to do at the office tomorrow, but for now… how about we play old school on a PS4?” Alfred gestured to the antiquated game system, hooked up to an old TV.

“Of course. Whatever you say, sir,” Toris said.

Toris turned out to catch on fairly fast, and they were duking it out as ninja characters for hours.


End file.
